We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kail Limb. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kail below.

Hi Kail, thanks for joining us today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

My parents have always been supportive, but in a realistic way. My dad was a trumpet player so naturally I followed in his footsteps, eventually, I decided that there was something about being a musician I just really enjoyed and I needed to make it my career. When I went off to college to study trumpet performance, my dad was supportive but encouraged me to consider the education path for the sake of job security. Eventually I realized that I’m really happy when I get to teach others, and I’m grateful for that gentle nudge by my father. My whole family has always been encouraging, they’re proud that I’ve been working on my degree and are excited for when I finally get a teaching job. But in regards to the Big Band, it’s every bit as supported. When I came to my dad with this idea, he was instantly invested and became my right hand man, he found us a rehearsal space and helped put together a lot of the music that we play. If it wasn’t for my dad I think this would have fallen apart pretty quickly. He helped me build momentum in the early stages of the band, and I couldn’t be any more thankful for that.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Yeah so, I’ve been playing the trumpet since 7th grade and I fell in love with it really quickly. When I was introduced to jazz i was influenced by Louis Armstrong and Herb Alpert. Eventually I wound up becoming obsessed with the sound of a big band and wanted nothing more in life than to run and operate my own professional big band. And now I think I’m well on my way to reaching that dream.

The Odyssey is a big band I started in 2023 with some friends that has really taken off. We’re a 20 person jazz band in the Salt Lake Valley that does weddings, parties, corporate events, charity events, and any other gathering you might want a good old fashion swing band at. Think Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole. We play a lot of those classic vocal tunes, but we play some newer stuff also, currently we’re working on getting some brand new custom arrangements written for us.

The big band scene in Salt Lake is actually pretty competitive, there’s plenty of gigs, but only the really well known bands get called for them. So we’re really trying to put our foot in the door and let everyone know that we’re here to make some noise! If you or someone you know needs a jazz band, give us a call!

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I’m passionate about music in general, but I think that big band is a dying art. Big bands used to be THE thing in the 30’s and 40’s, every party had a dance band, and now I think it’s turning into a novelty that isn’t as appreciated as it needs to be. These musicians seriously love what they do, only to lose to the most popular top 10 hit. I understand that it’s not everyones cup of tea, but I think a lot of people would be surprised how cool big band music actually is, if they just took the time to watch one live. And that’s my goal. I want to build a worldwide appreciation for big band and jazz in general.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

Honestly, money. There isn’t much cash flow for jazz musicians, it’s kind of a known fact going into it though. Bands are expensive to pay, it’s much easier to throw on some tunes in the background via bluetooth. But I think that a lot of people don’t realize that these musicians need to be paid for their years of effort and dedication to their craft. There’s not a lot of money to go around in the arts, but I think that if you can find the funds for it, a live band will take your event to the next level. Like, I said earlier, big band is a novelty nowadays, which makes it exciting when you actually have a band. I can’t tell you how many compliments my band received at the wedding we played over the summer.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://odysseybands.net/
• Instagram: odysseybigband
• Facebook: Kail Limb

Image Credits

Daisy Nielson, Hannah Jaques